Mail-crane



G. J. BARRY.

MAIL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13. I919.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- G. J. BARRY.

MAIL CRANE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13. 1919.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES" GARRETT J. BARRY, OF SANDUSKY, OHIO.

MAIL-CRANE.

Application filed February 13, 1919.

To all whom e't may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnnnn'r'r J. BARnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sandusky, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio, have invented'a certain new and useful Improvement in Mail- Cranes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to mail cranes, and has for its general object to provide a crane of this character which'may be conveniently operated from a moving train, thereby automatically to swing a mail bag on said crane into operative relation to the catching device with which mail cars are ordinarily provided. A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character with a trip which is movable, by the setting of the device, to a position where the trip may be engaged by a suitable operating device carried by the train, the trip being moved out of operative relation to such operating device by the movement of the mail bag support toward the train. Further and other limited objects of the invention will appear in the specification forming part hereof and will be realized in and through the combinations of elements embodied in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings forming part hereof, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a portion of a train, showing the manner in which my invention cooperates with the standard mail car equipment; Fig. 2 represents a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of my mail. crane and its operat ing parts, together with a rail and a portion of a car or train cooperating with the crane; Fig. 3 a view corresponding to the line 33 of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the 'arrows; Fig. 4: a sectional view correspond ing to line ll of Fig. 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 an enlarged sectional view corresponding to the line 553 of Fl 2 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; Figs. 6 and 7 sectional details corresponding respectively to the lines 6-6 and 7-7 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8 a detail in elevation of the mechanism for rotating and locking the mail crane shaft; and Figs. 9 and 10 details in perspective ofthe mechanism for rotating said shaft.

The complete mechanism comprises a rotary crane shaft having the usual arms for supporting a mail bag, means tending to ro- Specificatien of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Serial No. 276,731.

tate said shaft to bring the mail bag in operative relation to the catcher on a mail car, a locking device normally preventing the rotation of said shaft, a trip device movable toward and from the track through the rotation of the shaft, and means carried by a train and movable alongthe track for engaging the trip device thereby to allow the shaft rotating means to swing the mail bag toward the track.

In the drawings forming part hereof, 1 represents one of the rails of a track and 2 a'mail coach of a train, said coach having the usual doorway 3 to which there is pivoted the shaft 4 of the mail bag catcher, the catcher arm whereof is indicated at 5 and the operating arm whereof is indicated at 6. Projecting from the arch bar 7 of the front truck is a housing 8 in which there is mounted a squared shaft or rod 9 carrying at its bottom a yoke 10 in which there is supported a roller 11. The housing is provided with vertically alined squared openings 12 and 13 for the rod or shaft 9, and the latter is provided with a cap or disk 14: secured to the upper end thereof to prevent the access of rain, etc. to the interior of the housing. Pinned to the rod 14 within the housing is a disk 15 which constitutes a bearing for the lower end of a spring 16, the upper end whereof is shown as engaging the top wall 17 of the housing. The housing may be conveniently secured to the arch bar as by means of an upper flange 18, a lower flange 19, and suitable bolts 20.

21 denotes a vertical housing shown supported on an extension of one of the cross ties, said housing having a door 22 which may be provided with a lock to permit access to and prevent tampering with the parts therein. The particular cross tie illustrated herein may be a metal channel having its flanges 23 extending downwardly and its web 2% providing a cover for the operating lever therebeneath. A plate 25 is shown as extending transversely of the housing 21 and willbe secured to the same in any suitable manner, as by welding, where the housing is of metal. Extending through a central aperture in the plate 25 is the vertical crane shaft 26, said shaft extending through the cover plate 21 of said housing and being provided with the usual arms 27 and 28 for supporting a mail bag, indicated at 29 on Fig. 1. The arm 27 is pivoted to a yoke on the top of the crane shaft and'is counterbalanced to cause it to assume a vertical position when relieved ofthe weight of the bag. The construction of the arms 27 and 28 is that ordinarily employed with mail cranes and, in its details, forms no part of my invention. 7

Suitably secured to the plate 25, as by lag screws 30, is a sleeved supporting member 31 having vertically extending stop projections 32 and 33 and a spiral track 33 extending between said projections. Rigid with the shaft 26 is a coperating member 3% having a hub portion 35 carrying a spiral rib 36 one end 37 whereof, cotiperates with the stop projection 32 and the other whereof cotiperates with the stop projection 33. The lower surface of the rib 36 is inclined complementarily to the inclination of the track 33, there being rollers 38 mounted in recesses provided in the lower surface of the rib 36, said rollers moving along the track 33 39 denotes a cup which is adjustable along the shaft26 by means of a nut L0 threaded on the lower end of said shaft, there being a loclcnut il below the nut ll) for the purpose of retaining the latter, and the cup 39 in any position to which they may be adjusted. Surrounding the lower portion of the shaft 26 is a helical spring 42, the lower end whereof extends within the cup 39 and is connected to the shaft, the upper end of said spring engaging a lug 43 projecting downwardly from the plate 25.

On the upper surface of the rib 37 is a locking. projection 37 extending transversely of said rib and being angular in outline. The lower end of said rib constitutes a stop projection which coiiperates with the projection 32.

Secured to the plate 25 at one side of the members 31 and 34 is a block l i. of this block which is presented toward the members 31 and 31 is concave. Extending through said block are rods 45, said rods being threaded and provided with nuts 4L6 to secure them in position and clamp the block to the plate 25, the upper ends of the rods projecting through the head-plate l7 having a central aperture for the upper end of a rod as having a collar 49 thereon above said block, there being a helical spring 50 interposed between said collar and the plate 47 The portion of the rod 48 which extends through the block 44 is preferably angular in section and slides within a similarly shaped bore through said block, whereby the rod may reciprocate with respect to said block without rotating. Projecting from the rod48 above the block is a locking dog 51 adapted to overhang the rib 37 and having an angular notch 52 therein adapted to receive the angular locking projection 37 on said rib and thereby prevent the rotation of the shaft 26 by the spring 42.

The rod 48 is preferably made in two parts The face having reversely threaded ends connected by a correspondingly threaded sleeve 53, enabling the effective length of said rod to be varied.

' Thelower end of the shaft 6 projects below the top web 2% of the housing and eX- tends through a fork 5% on one of the arms 55 of an angle lever, the rod being provided with a nut 56 between which and the nut ll the fork projects. The other arm 57 of the angle lever is connected to a pair of links 58, located within the housing 21 and having their opposite or outer ends connected to a trip device, shown as a block or shoe 59 projecting upwardly through a slot 60 in the web 24:. The arms of the angle lever are shown as rigidly connected to a rock shaft 55 journaled in the housing 21. The bottom of the rod as is connected to a lever 61, which is pivoted intermediate of its ends, as indicated at 62, itsouter end fitting within a groove 63 --in the bottom of the block or shoe 59. The upper surface of said block or shoe is preferably beveled downwardly in opposite directions from the central portion thereof.

With the parts constructed and arranged as described, the operation will be as follows On the approach of a mail train to which a mail bag is to be delivered, the operator turns the shaft by the hand wheel 6% to bring the arms 27 and 28 parallel with the track and applies'the mail bag to the arms in the usual manner. By this action, the membei 34c and the shaft 26 are elevated, compressing the spring 42. The elevation of the shaft 26 moves the block or shoe 59 outwardly along the slot 60 and upon the lever arm 61 in position to be engaged by the roller 1.1. The shaft will have been locked with the arms 27 and 28 extending parallel to the track, the dog 51 cotiperating with the locking projection 37 in the manner hereinbefore described. TVhen the roller 11 depresses the block or shoe 59, the rod as is elevated, there- 3y releasing the dog from its locking projection, whereupon the spring 42 will depress the shaft 26 and, through the cotiperation oi the rib 36 and rollers 38 with the track 33,

the said shaft will be rotated to the position repeated. The rotation of the shaft 26 by the hand wheel will cause the elevation of said shaft byreason of the rollers 38 running upon the track 33 until such. time the locking projection 37 catches under the dog 51.

The construction of the parts 21-53 inclusive constitutes in its details no part of the invention aimed to be protected herein, the said construction forming the subject matter of my application No. 240,728 filed June 19, 1918.

Having described my invention, what-I claim is 1. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a mail bag sup port adjacent to said track, means for lock ing said support in inoperative relation to said track and car, a trip device movable toward and from the track and car adapted to be engaged by a member carried by said car, connections between said device and said mail bag support for unlocking the latter, and means for moving said support in operative relation to said track and car.

2. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a mail bag sup port adjacent to said track, a trip device movable toward and from the track and car and adapted to be engaged bv a member carried by said car, and connections between said device and said mail bag support for moving said device into and out of operative relation to said track and car by the movements of said support.

3. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a mail crane comprising a rotatable shaft and a mail bag support carried thereby, means for locking said shaft with the support in inoperative relation to said track and car, means tending to rotate said shaft toward said track, a trip device, connections between said device and said shaft for moving the said device toward the track by the rotation of the shaft in a direction to move the support away from the track and car and to move said device in the reverse direction by the rotation of the shaft in a direction to move the mail bag support toward the track and car, a device carried by the ear for engaging said trip device, and connections between the trip device and the shaft for unlocking the latter.

L. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a mail crane comprising a rotatable shaft and a mail bag support carried thereby, means for look ing said shaft ina predetermined relation to said track, means tending to rotate said shaft, a trip device, connections between said device and said shaft for moving the said device toward and from the track through the rotation of the shaft, a device carried by the car for engaging said trip device, and connections between the trip device and the shaft for unlocking the latter.

5. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a mail bag support, means tending to move said support toward said track and car, means for looking the said support in inoperative relation to said track and car, a trip device movable toward and from said track and car, a device carried by the car for engaging said trip device, connections between said trip device and the mail bag support for unlocking the latter, and connections between the said support and the said trip device for moving the latter toward and from the track by movements of the mail bag support in the reverse directions.

3. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a-mail bag support, means tending to move said support with reference to said track and car, means for locking the said support against opera tion by the last mentioned means, a trip device, a connection between said device and said support for unlocking the latter, a device carried" by said car for engaging the trip device, and connections between said device and said support whereby the movements of the latter will move the said device toward and from the track.

7. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a mail crane comprising a rotatable shaft and a mail bag support thereon, means tending to rotate said shaft, means for locking said shaft and the mail bag support in a predetermined relation to said t 'ack, a trip device, adevice carried by the ear for engaging said trip device, connections between said trip device and said shaft for unlocking the latter, and connections between said trip device and said shaft whereby the movement of the shaft will produce movements of the trip device toward and from the track.

,8. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a mail crane comprising a rotatable and reeiprocable shaft, a mailbag support carried by said shaft, means tending to rotate said shaft, means for locking saidshaft in a predetermined relation to said track, a trip device, a device carried by said car for engaging said trip device, a connection between the trip device and the shaft for unlocking the latter, and connections between the shaft and the trip device whereby the said device will be moved toward and from the track through the reciprocation of said shaft.

9. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a rotatable and reciprocable mail bag support, means tending to rotate said support, means for looking said support in a predetermined relation to said track, a trip device, a device carried by said car for engaging said trip device, a connection between the trip device and the support for unlocking the latter, and connections between the support and the trip device whereby the said device will be moved toward and from the track through the reciprocation of said support.

10. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, said car having a housing, of a rod reciprocably mounted in said housing, a roller carried by the lower end of said rod, a spring within said housing and operatively connected with said rod wherebythe roller is yieldingly supported in depressed position, a mail bag support, means tending to move the same toward the track, means for locking .tthe said support in inoperative relation to the track and car, a trip device in operative relation to said roller, and connections between said device and the mail bag support for unlocking the latter.

11. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, said car having a housing, of a rod reciprocably mounted in said housing, a spring within said housing and. operatively connected with said rod whereby the latter is yieldingly supported in depressed position, a mail bag'support, means tending to move the same with reference to the track, means for locking the said support in a predetermined position, a trip device in operative relation to said rod, and connections 1 between said device and the mail bag support for unlocking the latter.

12. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a mail crane comprising a rotatable shaft, a mail bag support thereon, means tending to rotate said shaft, means for locking the said shaft in a predetermined position, a trip device slidable toward and from the track, a device sition, a trip device slidable toward and" from the track, a device carried by the car for engaging the trip device, connections between said trip device and said support for unlocking the latter by the movement of said device, and connections between the trip device and the support whereby the said device will be moved toward and from the track through movements of the said support.

14. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a mail crane comprising a rotatable shaft, means tending torotate said shaft in one direction, means for locking the shaft against such rotation, a lever, a connection between said lever and the locking means for unlocking the shaft, a trip device slidably mounted upon the lever,

a device carried by the car and cooperating with the trip device to move the latter, and connections between said shaft and said trip device for moving the said device along said lever. s

15. The combination, with. a track and a car movable therealong, of a mail bag support, means tending to move said support in one direction, means for locking the support against such rotation, a lever, a connection etween said lever and the locking means for unlocking the support, a trip device slidably mounted upon the lever, a device carried by the car and cooperating with the trip device to move the latter, and connections between said support and said trip device for moving the said device along said lever.

16. The combination, with a track and a car movable therealong, of a mail crane com prising a rotatable and vertically reciprocable shaft, means tending to rotate said shaft in one direction, means for locking the shaft against such rotation, a lever, a connection between said lever and the locking device for unlocking the shaft, a trip device slidably mounted upon the lever, a device carried by the car and coiiperating with the trip device to move the latter, and connections between said shaft and said trip device whereby the said device "will be reciprocated toward and from the track through the reciprocation of the said shaft.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

GARRETT J. BARRY. 

